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January 15, 2009

Kellogg Peanut Butter Snacks Taken Off Shelves

by Sam Savage

On Wednesday, Kellogg Co said it was removing its Austin and Keebler branded peanut butter snacks from store shelves, as well as putting a hold on their shipments, due to the concern of the current Salmonella food poisoning outbreak.

However, the company said that its own investigation has not yet found any concerns over its products, nor has Kellogg received any consumer illness complaints.

Since September, U.S. health authorities reported that the salmonella food poisoning outbreak has sickened at least 410 people in 43 states.

Kellogg is taking precautionary measures including putting holds on any inventory in its control, removing products from retail store shelves, and encouraging consumers to hold and not eat these products until regulatory officials deem it as safe.

The products said to be unsafe until further investigation are Toasted Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers, Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Crackers, Cheese and Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers, and Peanut Butter-Chocolate Sandwich Crackers.

Kellogg said that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have indicated that Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) is the focus of their investigation on the Salmonella outbreak, which is thought to be caused by tainted peanut butter. PCA is one of several butter sandwich crackers.

On Tuesday, PCA voluntarily recalled peanut butter produced in the Blakely, Georgia facility, because it might be contaminated with Salmonella.

State Health Officials, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the FDA have been trying to trace the source of the outbreak.